Pennsylvania Case Commentaries

Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Anti-Referral Rule: “Goods or Services” Treated as a Modifier, Not Standalone Prohibitions

Date: Jun 22, 2026

Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Anti-Referral Rule: “Goods or Services” Treated as a Modifier, Not Standalone Prohibitions 1. Introduction 700 Pharm. v. Bur of WC (State Workers' Ins. Fund) is a...

Limiting Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Anti-Referral Ban: “Goods or Services” Modifies Only Enumerated Categories

Date: Jun 22, 2026

Limiting Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Anti-Referral Ban: “Goods or Services” Modifies Only Enumerated Categories 1. Introduction Case: 700 Pharm. v. Bur of WC (State Workers' Ins. Fund)...

Ambiguity Defeats “Continuing Offense” Treatment Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5552(d) for Theft-by-Deception and Receiving-Stolen-Property Statutes

Date: Jun 22, 2026

Ambiguity Defeats “Continuing Offense” Treatment Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5552(d) for Theft-by-Deception and Receiving-Stolen-Property Statutes 1. Introduction Commonwealth v. Black (Pa. June 16, 2026)...

Rule 908’s Mandatory Hearing Requirement in Concession-of-Error PCRA Cases, and Constitutional Limits on Court-Created OAG Intervention

Date: Jun 22, 2026

Rule 908’s Mandatory Hearing Requirement in Concession-of-Error PCRA Cases, and Constitutional Limits on Court-Created OAG Intervention Introduction Commonwealth v. Brown (Pa. June 16, 2026) arises...

Gaming Act Licensing and Slot-Tax Limits: Title 4 Authorizes Only Board-Licensed Slot Operations; Illicit Machines Are Governed by 18 Pa.C.S. § 5513

Date: Jun 17, 2026

Gaming Act Licensing and Slot-Tax Limits: Title 4 Authorizes Only Board-Licensed Slot Operations; Illicit Machines Are Governed by 18 Pa.C.S. § 5513 1. Introduction This consolidated Pennsylvania...

Gaming Act Definitions Inform Crimes Code “Slot Machine,” but Gaming Act Licensing/Tax Regime Targets Only Board-Licensed Use

Date: Jun 17, 2026

Gaming Act Definitions Inform Crimes Code “Slot Machine,” but Gaming Act Licensing/Tax Regime Targets Only Board-Licensed Use Introduction Justice Brobson’s concurring and dissenting opinion...

Allocatur Denied for Inadequate Development of Pa.R.A.P. 1114(b) Criteria Despite Apparent Errors Below

Date: Jun 8, 2026

Allocatur Denied for Inadequate Development of Pa.R.A.P. 1114(b) Criteria Despite Apparent Errors Below Case: Wentz, M. v. Wentz, D. (Pa. Supreme Court, June 5, 2026) — Concurring Statement (Wecht,...

Rule 588 Return-of-Property Hearings Require Record Evidence to Prove Derivative Contraband

Date: Jun 3, 2026

Rule 588 Return-of-Property Hearings Require Record Evidence to Prove Derivative Contraband 1. Introduction In Re: Alisha Shepard Smith; Appeal of: Alisha Shepard Smith reached the Supreme Court of...

Rule 588 Retention of Seized Property: Post-Irland Limits and the Need for an Evidentiary Record to Deny Return

Date: Jun 2, 2026

Rule 588 Retention of Seized Property: Post-Irland Limits and the Need for an Evidentiary Record to Deny Return 1. Introduction In re: Alisha Shepard Smith; Appeal of: Alisha Shepard Smith (Pa. May...

Veil Piercing Cannot Revive Claims Barred by Pennsylvania LLC Dissolution Claim-Bar (15 Pa. C.S. § 8875(c))

Date: May 24, 2026

Veil Piercing Cannot Revive Claims Barred by Pennsylvania LLC Dissolution Claim-Bar (15 Pa. C.S. § 8875(c)) Case: In Re: Dravo LLC, Appeal of: Carmeuse Lime (Pa. May 22, 2026) Court: Supreme Court of...

Veil Piercing Cannot Revive Tort Claims Barred by Pennsylvania’s LLC Dissolution Claim Bar (15 Pa. C.S. § 8875(c))

Date: May 24, 2026

Veil Piercing Cannot Revive Tort Claims Barred by Pennsylvania’s LLC Dissolution Claim Bar (15 Pa. C.S. § 8875(c)) I. Introduction In In Re: Dravo LLC, Appeal of: Carmeuse Lime (Pa. May 22, 2026),...

Risk Allocation and Economic Reality in Predevelopment Leases Under the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act

Date: May 22, 2026

Risk Allocation and Economic Reality in Predevelopment Leases Under the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act 1. Introduction PSP NE, LLC v. Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Appeals Board comes to the Supreme...

Uniformity Clause Limits on Revenue-Driven, Monetary-Threshold Assessment Appeals (Donohue, J., Dissent)

Date: May 22, 2026

Uniformity Clause Limits on Revenue-Driven, Monetary-Threshold Assessment Appeals (Donohue, J., Dissent) 1. Introduction Downingtown Area School District v. Chester County Board of Assessment Appeals...

Uniformity Clause Primacy Over Revenue Maximization: Monetary-Threshold Assessment Appeals Cannot Systematically Target Commercial Property

Date: May 22, 2026

Uniformity Clause Primacy Over Revenue Maximization: Monetary-Threshold Assessment Appeals Cannot Systematically Target Commercial Property Introduction Downingtown Area School District v. Chester...

Commonwealth v. Peters (Pa. 2026) Commentary

Date: May 5, 2026

“Malice Is Malice”: Pennsylvania Rejects a DUI-Specific Malice Test and Reaffirms One Unified Standard Case: Commonwealth v. Peters, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (May 4, 2026) I. Introduction...

Nullum Tempus Cannot Override 42 Pa.C.S. § 5536’s 12-Year Construction Statute of Repose

Date: May 5, 2026

Nullum Tempus Cannot Override 42 Pa.C.S. § 5536’s 12-Year Construction Statute of Repose 1. Introduction Case: Clearfield County, Pennsylvania v. Transystems Corporation (successor to L. Robert...

Stormwater Charges as User Fees: Proportionality, Proxy Metrics, and Limits on Recoverable Costs (Wecht, J., Concurring and Dissenting)

Date: May 5, 2026

Stormwater Charges as User Fees: Proportionality, Proxy Metrics, and Limits on Recoverable Costs (Wecht, J., Concurring and Dissenting) 1. Introduction This Pennsylvania Supreme Court matter arose...

Reaffirming Reinhart: Nolle Prosequi Requires a Valid and Reasonable Basis, Not Ajaj Deference

Date: May 4, 2026

Reaffirming Reinhart: Nolle Prosequi Requires a Valid and Reasonable Basis, Not Ajaj Deference Introduction In Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Harrison, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania addressed the...

Positive Steps Alone Do Not Establish Self-Employment Under Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law

Date: May 4, 2026

Positive Steps Alone Do Not Establish Self-Employment Under Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law Introduction In Precht, P., Aplt. v. UCBR, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania addressed whether a...

April 2026 Pennsylvania Rule Update: Approved Depositories for Attorney Trust (IOLTA) Accounts and “Platinum Leader Bank” Yield Standard

Date: Apr 29, 2026

April 2026 Pennsylvania Rule Update: Approved Depositories for Attorney Trust (IOLTA) Accounts and “Platinum Leader Bank” Yield Standard 1. Introduction In Re: Financial Institutions Approved as...